SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A once forgotten space on Stockton Boulevard in South Sacramento is getting a new life.
Owners Robby Naim and Paul Dollar opened a bakery inside an old, abandoned building back in March. Naim says the building was abandoned for more than a decade until they renovated it.
"We kind of wanted the space to be something that the community could share. Meet each other, hang out," said Naim.
The fixer-upper is now a space for the community to break bread. Forgotten Bakery combines old family recipes from Naim and Dollar's childhoods: bagels and empanadas.
Naim and Dollar are business partners and also life partners. They met in Miami and have been together for five years. They moved to the Colonial Heights area a few years ago before the idea for the bakery came to life.
"My partner actually came up with the name. It actually has to do with the location," said Naim.
Dollar told ABC10 the small building used to be a bar called the Sea Shanty before it went vacant. The area of Stockton Boulevard has also seen better days, but the name is more than just about the location. The partners also dusted off old family recipes for their baked goods.
"If we don't learn these recipes, these too will also be forgotten, so we're happy to bring them to the community," said Dollar.
On the corner of Baker Avenue, Forgotten Bakery brings together fond memories for both Naim and Dollar. Naim's father and mother were bagel makers who owned a bakery in the Bay Area for 20 years. He grew up behind the counter.
"(When I was) five years old, they used to take me to the bakery and I'd start making bagels and playing with dough," Naim said. "And my partner Paul comes from a Chilean background and he's been making empanadas his whole life. We kind of merged the two together and decided to create something fun."
"I think about my mother when I make my food," Dollar said. "Empanadas are a labor of love. It's kind of like tamales, it's an all-day event. Everybody helps make them for holidays, so when we make empanadas, you're family."
The empanadas are hand-folded and offered in a variety of savory and sweet flavors, including beef, spinach and cheese, and guava cream cheese.
Dollar's favorite is the Chilean, which is a beef empanada filled with onions, olives, raisins and hard boiled egg.
Naim's signature menu item is the Forgotten Bagel, which comes with chive cream cheese, bacon and jalapeno.
Also on the menu are a variety of bagel sandwiches, including egg and cheese, smoked salmon and cream cheese, and Nutella with crunchy granola.
Naim told ABC10 what makes the bagels so special is the beer fermented dough. The dough is fermented overnight, hand rolled and boiled in honey water. The bagels are baked fresh each morning.
Forgotten Bakery is getting the attention of locals and visitors who are coming out to support the new shop.
"When we saw the crowds of people coming from around here, coming back every day, it was just really special for us," Naim said.
Forgotten Bakery is open Thursday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. It's located at 4650 Stockton Blvd.
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